How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Key takeaways
- The cheapest entry points are Peacock ($8.99/month) and Paramount+ Essential ($8.99/month), but neither carries a full season of any major league alone.
- Cord-cutters who want everything in one app pay the most: Hulu + Live TV ($99.99/month); Fubo and YouTube TV publish no price in their page text, so check their sites.
- ESPN+ now sells as ESPN Unlimited from $31.99/month (per plus.espn.com); fight fans should price DAZN separately since boxing and MMA rarely sit in one bundle.
- Sling TV Orange ($45.99/month) remains the budget live-TV option for ESPN and TNT, but it lacks local broadcast networks.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 ESPN+ | UFC, NHL and college sports fans | $31.99/month (ESPN Unlimited) | No |
 Fubo | Sports-first cord-cutters | See website (Fubo's page text shows no plan price) | Free trial |
 YouTube TV | Households wanting every major channel | See website (price not shown in the vendor's page text) | See website |
 Hulu + Live TV | Bundling live sports with Disney+ and Hulu | $99.99/month (Hulu With Ads + Live TV) | No |
 DAZN | Boxing and combat sports fans | See website (DAZN's page text shows no plan price) | No |
 Peacock | Sunday Night Football and Premier League on a budget | $8.99/month (lowest tier) | No |
 Paramount+ | NFL on CBS and Champions League on a budget | $8.99/month (Essential) | No |
 Sling TV | Budget live TV with ESPN and TNT | $45.99/month (Orange) | No |
 Prime Video | Thursday Night Football plus entertainment | See website (Amazon's page did not yield a price in our checks) | See website |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Live sports is the last thing keeping the cable bundle alive, and the streaming services know it: sports rights now decide which platforms survive. The result is fragmentation. No single service carries every game, and the price of "everything" has crept past $100 a month across two or three subscriptions. The trick is to buy for the leagues you actually watch. A Premier League fan needs Peacock; an NFL fan needs a live-TV bundle; a boxing fan needs DAZN. These nine services cover the real options, with verified prices where the vendors publish them.
Starting price$31.99/month (ESPN Unlimited)
Free planNo
ESPN's streaming service now sells as ESPN Unlimited, and its own site lists it from $31.99/month. The value is the long tail: UFC fight nights, NHL games, thousands of college football and basketball games, international soccer and Grand Slam tennis that never make linear TV. For fans of those properties, it is the cheapest way to watch a lot of live sports.
The catch is what is missing. You will not find NFL Sunday broadcasts or national NBA games here; those live on broadcast networks and other streamers. And because ESPN rebranded the service, pricing articles from before the change quote numbers that no longer apply. Check plus.espn.com for the current plan before comparing.
What we like- Deep combat sports and hockey coverage plus a huge college sports library
- Bundles with Disney+ and Hulu cut the per-service cost
- Exclusive UFC pay-per-view ordering in one app
Watch out for- No NFL Sunday games or NBA national broadcasts
- The rebrand to ESPN Unlimited makes older pricing articles unreliable
Starting priceSee website (Fubo's page text shows no plan price)
Free planFree trial
Fubo started as a soccer streamer and grew into the sports fan's cable replacement. Its homepage leads with a free trial offer, and the channel lineup is the deepest for live sports: ESPN networks, FS1, NFL Network, regional sports networks in many markets, plus international soccer. If your household watches games across five leagues, Fubo is designed for you.
The catch is cost and verification. The plan price was not extractable from Fubo's page text, so "see website" is the honest listing; expect it to be the priciest single sports subscription. Regional sports availability varies by ZIP code, so enter yours before subscribing. It is the best sports-only bundle, not the cheapest way to watch TV.
What we like- Built for sports fans, with the widest channel lineup for live games
- Its own site advertises a free trial
- Strong regional sports network coverage where available
Watch out for- The most expensive single sports service once priced
- Entertainment channels are thinner than general live-TV rivals
Starting priceSee website (price not shown in the vendor's page text)
Free planSee website
YouTube TV is the closest thing to cable without the cable box: ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC plus ESPN, TNT, FS1 and the league networks, with unlimited cloud DVR. For a household where one person watches football, another watches news and a third watches reality TV, it is the single-subscription answer. The interface is the best of the live-TV streamers.
The catch for sports fans is value. If you only watch sports, you are paying for a full entertainment bundle to get the games. The price was not shown in the vendor's page text, so check tv.youtube.com for the current rate and any trial offer. It wins on completeness, not on price.
What we like- The most complete channel lineup, including all major broadcast networks
- Unlimited cloud DVR
- Up to six household accounts
Watch out for- Price not verifiable from the vendor's page text
- Sports-only viewers pay for dozens of channels they never watch
#4
Hulu + Live TV
Best for: Bundling live sports with Disney+ and Hulu
Visit hulu.com
Starting price$99.99/month (Hulu With Ads + Live TV)
Free planNo
Hulu + Live TV is the bundle play: live TV with sports channels, plus Hulu's on-demand library and Disney+ in one subscription. Its own site prices the With Ads + Live TV plan at $99.99/month (a limited-time $49.99 first-month offer was advertised). For households that would pay for Hulu and Disney+ anyway, the incremental cost of live sports is smaller than it looks.
The catch is the sticker price. At $99.99/month it is the most expensive verified option on this list, and there is no free trial to test the service. Sports-only viewers should compare Fubo and YouTube TV first. It makes sense when the household wants one bill for everything, not when one person wants football.
What we like- Live sports channels plus the full Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ libraries in one bill
- Strong on-demand catalog for non-sports viewing
- Includes major broadcast networks
Watch out for- $99.99/month is the highest verified price here
- No free trial advertised
Starting priceSee website (DAZN's page text shows no plan price)
Free planNo
DAZN is the fight fan's service. It built its brand on boxing, stacking cards and a deep archive of classic fights, and it is available in more than 200 markets. In some countries it also carries NFL Game Pass, making it a two-sport value. If your sports calendar revolves around fight nights, this is the subscription.
The catch is the total cost of boxing. The base plan price was not shown in DAZN's page text, and the biggest fights have historically carried separate pay-per-view fees on top. Check dazn.com for your country's current plan and whether marquee bouts are included. For non-combat-sports fans, there is little reason to subscribe.
What we like- The home of big-fight boxing with a deep fight library
- Global availability in 200+ markets
- Also carries NFL Game Pass internationally in some regions
Watch out for- Price not published in the vendor's page text
- Boxing pay-per-views can cost extra on top of the subscription
Starting price$8.99/month (lowest tier)
Free planNo
Peacock is the budget sports streamer done right. Its own homepage prices plans from $8.99/month, and that buys Sunday Night Football, Premier League matches, Big Ten football and WWE events. For fans of those specific properties, it is absurd value: a full NFL primetime package for the price of two coffees.
The catch is breadth. Outside its headline rights, Peacock's live sports thin out fast; it is not a general sports service. There is no free tier. Pair it with an antenna for local games or a second service for other leagues, and it remains the cheapest seat in the house for its sports.
What we like- The cheapest way to watch Sunday Night Football and Premier League matches
- Its own site lists plans from $8.99/month
- Big on-demand library beyond sports
Watch out for- Limited live sports outside its marquee properties
- No free tier
Starting price$8.99/month (Essential)
Free planNo
Paramount+ is Peacock's mirror image for CBS sports. Its own site lists Essential at $8.99/month and Premium at $13.99/month. The sports case is straightforward: every NFL game broadcast on CBS, UEFA Champions League and Europa League, PGA Tour golf and Big Ten football. For an NFL fan in a CBS market, it covers Sunday afternoons cheaply.
The catch is concentration. If your teams live on ESPN, Fox or NBC, Paramount+ adds little. The Essential tier carries ads outside live content. Like Peacock, it is a complement to an antenna or a bigger bundle, not a standalone sports solution.
What we like- Every NFL game on CBS plus UEFA Champions League
- Its own site prices Essential at $8.99/month
- Premium ($13.99/month) adds Showtime content
Watch out for- Essential tier has ads on non-live content
- Sports coverage is concentrated in CBS properties
Starting price$45.99/month (Orange)
Free planNo
Sling TV Orange is the budget cord-cutter's sports starter. Its own site prices Orange at $45.99/month, covering ESPN, ESPN2 and TNT: the core of NBA, NHL and college coverage. Sports Extra add-ons stack more league networks for $11/month. With no annual contract, it is easy to subscribe for a season and cancel.
The catch is the missing networks. Sling carries no local ABC, CBS, Fox or NBC, so Sunday NFL and marquee events need an antenna or a second service. Orange allows one stream at a time, which breaks multi-TV households (the Blue plan or Orange + Blue fixes it at higher cost). It is the cheapest ESPN access, not the complete package.
What we like- The cheapest live-TV path to ESPN, ESPN2 and TNT
- Its own site lists Orange at $45.99/month
- No-contract monthly billing with add-on sports packs
Watch out for- No local broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC), so NFL Sunday games need an antenna
- Single-stream limit on Orange
#9
Prime Video
Best for: Thursday Night Football plus entertainment
Visit amazon.com
Starting priceSee website (Amazon's page did not yield a price in our checks)
Free planSee website
Prime Video matters for sports because of one property: exclusive Thursday Night Football. Beyond that, the sports case is thin, but the bundle case is strong: Prime includes the full entertainment library, music and shipping benefits in one membership. For households already paying for Prime, Thursday night games are effectively free.
The catch is verification and scope. Amazon's page did not yield an extractable price in our checks, so confirm the current Prime membership rate on amazon.com. One game a week does not make a sports service; treat Prime Video as a bonus for existing members, not a reason to subscribe for sports alone.
What we like- Exclusive home of Thursday Night Football
- Massive entertainment library and fast shipping bundled with Prime
- 4K HDR streams
Watch out for- Price not verifiable from Amazon's page in our checks
- Only one NFL game per week, not a full football solution
How we chose
We started with the searches sports fans run: best streaming service for sports, how to watch NFL without cable, and cheapest way to watch live sports. For each service we opened the vendor's own homepage and looked for current plan prices in the page text. Prices we could verify are quoted; where the vendor's page showed no extractable price, we wrote "See website" rather than repeating third-party figures. We focused on live-game coverage rather than on-demand libraries, since live rights are what sports subscribers pay for.
Pick by league, not by brand
The only sane way to buy sports streaming is league-first. Write down the leagues and teams you actually watch, then match services to that list. An NFL-only fan needs a live-TV bundle or an antenna plus Peacock and Paramount+. A Premier League fan needs Peacock. A boxing fan needs DAZN. An NHL and UFC fan needs ESPN+. Buying a big bundle "for sports" without this list is how households end up paying $150 a month to watch eight games.
Then check blackout and regional rules before subscribing. Regional sports networks vary by ZIP code, local NFL games are subject to broadcast rules, and some services restrict which games stream in which market. Every vendor here lets you enter a ZIP code or country to confirm coverage; do it before the season starts, not after the first blacked-out game.
Finally, mind the free trials and seasonal math. Fubo advertises a free trial on its homepage; most others do not. Because sports are seasonal, subscribe for the season and cancel after: five months of a $46 service beats twelve months of a $100 bundle you half-watch. Set a calendar reminder for the day after your league's final game.
The antenna play: the cheapest sports upgrade
No streaming article should skip the antenna. A $30 one-time indoor antenna delivers ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC in most metro areas, which covers Sunday NFL, the World Series, NBA Finals games on broadcast and major golf tournaments, free forever. Pair it with Peacock ($8.99/month) and Paramount+ ($8.99/month) and you have NFL primetime, Premier League and Champions League for under $20 a month plus the one-time antenna cost.
The gaps an antenna leaves are cable sports networks: ESPN's weekday games, TNT's NBA coverage and league networks like NFL Network. That is exactly what Sling Orange ($45.99/month) or ESPN+ ($31.99/month) fills, and only during the months those leagues play. The full cord-cutter stack, antenna plus two cheap services, runs under $70 in-season and drops to under $20 off-season. Compare that to any $100 bundle before you commit.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest way to watch live sports?
An antenna (one-time ~$30) plus Peacock ($8.99/month) and Paramount+ ($8.99/month) covers NFL primetime, Premier League and Champions League for under $20 a month. Add Sling Orange ($45.99/month) only during the months you need ESPN and TNT.
Which streaming service has the most live sports?
Fubo and YouTube TV carry the widest channel lineups for live games, including regional sports networks. Between them, Fubo is built specifically for sports fans. Check both sites for current prices, since neither published an extractable price in our checks.
Can I watch NFL without cable?
Yes. An antenna gets you Sunday games on CBS and Fox free. Peacock ($8.99/month) carries Sunday Night Football, Paramount+ ($8.99/month) carries CBS games, Prime Video has Thursday Night Football, and ESPN+ ($31.99/month) covers Monday Night Football.
Does ESPN+ include everything on ESPN?
No. ESPN+ (now ESPN Unlimited) does not carry the main ESPN channel's full lineup, NFL Sunday games or national NBA broadcasts. It excels at UFC, NHL, college sports and international soccer.
Is DAZN worth it for boxing fans?
If you follow boxing closely, yes: it is the primary home for major cards with a deep fight archive. Confirm on dazn.com whether marquee bouts in your country are included in the subscription or cost extra as pay-per-view.
Can I share my sports streaming account?
Most services allow multiple simultaneous streams and profiles, but limits vary: Sling Orange allows one stream, YouTube TV allows three, and most others allow two to three. Check the plan details, since password-sharing crackdowns keep tightening.
Sources we checked (9)
- https://plus.espn.com/
- https://www.fubo.tv/
- https://tv.youtube.com/
- https://www.hulu.com/
- https://www.dazn.com/
- https://www.peacocktv.com/
- https://www.paramountplus.com/
- https://www.sling.com/
- https://www.amazon.com/amazonprime
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.